Men's singles and doubles were first played at the tournament now called the US Open in 1881.
The event began as the U.S. National Championships, at a time when organized lawn tennis was still developing in the United States. Its inaugural edition was held in August 1881 on grass courts at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island. Only clubs belonging to the United States National Lawn Tennis Association could enter that first tournament.
Richard Sears won the inaugural men's singles title, beginning a remarkable run of seven consecutive championships from 1881 through 1887. The early tournament was not yet the modern, fully open Grand Slam: international competitors were excluded in 1881, and women did not receive a U.S. national singles championship until 1887. The tournament also used a challenge-round system from 1884 to 1911, allowing the defending champion to advance directly to the next final.
A common mix-up is confusing 1881 with 1968. The competition dates to 1881, but it adopted the name “US Open” and entered the Open Era in 1968, when professionals were allowed to compete alongside amateurs. It moved from Newport to Forest Hills in 1915 and to its current Queens site in 1978.